Past Recipient
2010 - Mike Fechner
Mike Fechner is the President & Founder of H.I.S. BridgeBuilders. He began this ministry 16 years ago, while serving as a volunteer and then as a minister at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas.
Mike Fechner formerly served as the Minister of Global Outreach with the 28,000 member Prestonwood Baptist Church located in the Dallas, Texas metroplex. Mike’s heartbeat at Prestonwood was to develop and engage the membership of Prestonwood in a living faith that impacted them, the community, the city and the nation.
Mike’s responsibilities include the operations of H.I.S. BridgeBuilders in Dallas, San Antonio & West Virginia, as well as the establishment of H.I.S. BridgeBuilders in Galati, Romania. The mission of H.I.S. BridgeBuilders is to glorify God and fulfill the Great Commission through prayer and evangelism of diverse segments of cities, building a bridge of Christ’s love to bring hope to people, restore communities and revive cities. This organization continues to unite and empower corporations, government, educational entities and churches around the city to bring about life change to residents of the communities where H.I.S. BridgeBuilders serves.
From small business start-ups to a free eye clinic and a free dental clinic to small group encouragement teams to GED and college-prep classes, this collaborative effort is continuing to impact lives in cities globally.
Mike has been recognized by the Texas Youth Commission with the Legend Award for cross-cultural service and other community related organizations as a bridge builder and community servant. On 6-7-06, Mike was awarded the Legends of Service Award for outstanding service to the community by the Dallas Life Foundation. On 10-23-06, Mike was named the recipient of the 2006 “Let Justice Roll on Like a River” Economic Development Award from the research arm of the Foundation for Community Empowerment, the J. McDonald Williams Institute.
Mike received his degree in business administration at Texas Christian University. After working for Chubb Insurance Company, he founded a security company which he owned and operated until being led into the ministry. His combination of corporate and church experience enables him to use diverse gifts and skills to further God’s kingdom.
Mike is currently on the Board of the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, Victory Life Ministries and Vision 360. He also serves as advisor to A Flame for Christ ministries and counsel for various other city and national organizations.
Mike and his wife, Laura, have four children: Michael, age 21, Daniel, age 18, Jonathan, age 15 and Grace, age 13.
Mike enjoys giving his time to initiatives that connect people and resource to enable transformation of lives for eternity.
2009 - Mike Huckabee
Serving as the inaugural recipient of the Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership Award, Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was chosen for his values, integrity and Christ-like attitude in all he does. Whether he’s known for campaigning for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, assisting Republicans running for nationwide office through HuckPac, or leading a health movement across the nation through his own weight loss, Mike Huckabee remains a man of integrity.
Huckabee has played many significant roles in his lifetime which made positive impacts on Americans across the nation. Many of his leadership skills spur from his years as a pastor and denominational leader. Serving as the youngest president to date of the Arkansas Baptist State convention, Huckabee’s involvement with local churches exposed him to the issues at hand for families and individuals. It wasn’t long after that he stepped into the world of politics as lieutenant governor and eventually governor of Arkansas.
During his time in office Huckabee attracted national attention with his significant weight loss and renewed commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. He was named the “Southern Region Runner of the Year” by the Toad Runners Club of American and the “Athlete of the Week” for USA Track & Field. His fourth book, Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork, was born at this time.
Running for the Republican nomination for President of the United States exposed Huckabee to even more people--especially the media. After a well-fought race, Huckabee turned his effort to helping other Republican candidates running for nationwide office through his program called HuckPac. His belief in vertical politics based on values transcends the electoral system and impacts anyone in a leadership position.
Huckabee began his television show, Huckabee, on FOX News in the fall of 2008 following guest appearances on Hannity & Colmes. He welcomes a diverse group of guests on the show such as Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Bill Maher while discussing a variety of topics affecting our nation today.
It is because of this man’s character he was chosen for the Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership Award. Not for what he’s done, but for how he’s done it. On April 14, 2009, Gov. Mike Huckabee will be honored under the namesake of one who has represented the same type of leadership: Mr. Zig Ziglar.
